Fin openers for missile launcher system



1967 M. c. NEUMAN ETAL 3,350,984

FIN OPENERS FOR MISSILE LAUNCHER SYSTEM Filed March 25, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 N VENTORS lW/fon C. A/euman Roger H mlefhoff ATTORNEY N 1967 M. c. NEUMAN ETAL 3,350,984

FIN OPENERS FOR MISSILE LAUNCHER SYSTEM Filed March 25, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

NOV. 7, 1967 c, NEUMAN 3,350,984

FIN OPENERS FOR MISSILE LAUNCHER SYSTEM 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 2 Nov. 7, 1967 M. c. NEUMAN ETAL 3,35 8

FIN OPENERS FOR MISSILE LAUNCHER SYSTEM Filed March 25, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Nov. 7, 1967 M. c. NEUMAN ETAL. 3,350,934

FIN OPENERS FOR MISSILE. LAUNCEER SYSTEM Filed March 25, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent Ofiice 335,984 Patented Nov. 7, 1967 3,350,984 FIN OPENERS FOR MISSILE LAUNCHER SYSTEM Milton C. Neuman, Minneapolis, and Roger H. Wiethoif, Wayzata, Minn., assignors to FMC, Corporation, San Jose, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 25, 1966, Ser. No. 538,483 1 Claim. (Cl. 891.8)

ABSTRACT OF THE DESCLOSURE Mechanism carried by the launcher arm for opening the fins of a missile after the missile is received on the launcher arm.

This invention relates to a missile launching system of the type having a magazine, storing missiles in a vertical position with a magazine supporting a launching guide arm to receive a missile from the magazine and to guide the missile in its initial flight, and more particularly to a fin opener and contactor assembly mechanism, which is supported on the launching arm, to open the fin blades to flight position and to provide electrical connections for missile warm up and control circuits.

In the type of missile launcher where the missiles are stored in a vertical position in a magazine which serves as a support for the launcher guide arm and where the missiles are hoisted vertically to the launcher arm from the magazine, the missiles are stored close together with the fin blades in a folded position. Before the missile can go into flight the blades must be swung to an operative or flight position. This must be accomplished either in the magazine as the missile leaves the magazine or just after it arrives onto the launcher guide arm. The launcher guide arm must serve as a support for both the missile and the fin openers and contact assemble mechanism in order to properly position the openers and the contactor assembly relative to the missile.

The object of this invention is to provide a mechanism supported by the launcher guide arm normally away from the path of the missile and adapted to be moved into a position to engage the fin blades of the missile when said missile is moved onto the guide arm.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a. mechanism which may be housed and supported by the launcher guide arm in such a manner as to not interfere with the passage of themissile onto the arm and then be swung into a position so that the missile fins may be contacted and once the fin blades had been positioned for flight the mechanism may again be removed from the path of a succeeding missile.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a hydraulically operated mechanism which can be moved into position to engage the fin blades and swing these blades to flight position and then be returned to a position out of the path of a succeeding missile. These movements must be positive in operation as the missile is put into flight after the fins are in flight position and the warm-up period expires. There is no further inspection of the missile to determine the position of the fins.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a picture of the complete missile system taken with the launcher guide arm in vertical position;

FIGJZ is a broken plan view looking through the guide arm supports across the top of the magazine and showing the access door through which the missiles are hoisted to the launcher guide arm, with the fin opener and contactor assembly on the lower end of the guide arm;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken through the fin opener and contactor assembly mechanism back of the guide arm rail.

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the fin opener and contactor assembly, and showing the guide arm rail with the missile outlined in broken lines.

FIG. 5 is a pictorial view of the lower end of the missile showing the fin openers and contactor assembly with the mechanism swung to fin engaging position and also showing the initial position in dotted lines of the mech anism for opening the fins.

FIG. 6 is a detailed view of a fin opening support showing the base engaging pads and the blade engaging pad.

FIG. 7 is a detailed view of a pair of fins in folded position showing the engaging pads iri relative position.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 with the fins in flight position.

Referring to the several sheets of drawings wherein like parts are designated by like numerals throughout the different views, the missile system is made up of a vertical magazine 12 having a top plate or cover 13 on which is mounted a pair of standards 14 pivotally supporting a launcher arm guide 15. The missiles 11 are housed within the magazine in a vertical position and are hoisted, one at a time, to the launcher arm guide through a door 16 and onto a guide rail 17. Located at the base of the launcher arm guide and extending on each side of the rail is a mechanism designated a fin opener and contactor assembly 18.

With attention to FIG. 2 the lower section of the guide arm 15 supports the fin opener and contactor assembly 18 extending on each side of the guide rail 17. This assem bly includes shields 19 and 21 which normally house the opening mechanisms 22 and 23. These mechanisms, normally withdrawn from the path of the missile, are adapted to be swung on the rotatable shafts 24 and 25, respectively, into operating position.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show cross sections through the fin opener and contactor assembly and illustrate the working mechanism for swinging the opening units into the path of the missile. The shaft 24 supports a fin base engaging mechanism 26, 26' and a fin blade unfolding or opening mechanism 27, 27 which are mounted on an operating support 28, the support 28 swinging with the rotation of the shaft 24 from an initial housed position, out of the path of the missile, to an operative position in the path of the missile and rearward of the missile as shown in FIG. 3 by the arc and arrows. In a like manner the shaft 25 carries the support 29 with its fin base engaging yokes 31, 31' and its fin blade engaging arms 32, 32'.

Mounted on shafts 24 and 25, respectively, are gears 33 and 34. These gears, respectively, mesh with racks 35 and 36 on the extremeties of rods 37 and 38. The rods 37 and 38 terminate in a piston 39 adapted to reciprocate in the cylinder 41 under the influence of hydraulic fluid, which may be introduced into or withdrawn from either end of the cylinder 41. (Conventional hydraulic mechanism not shown.) After the passage of the missile, the hydraulic mechanism operates to swing the fin opener assembly out of the housing or shield and into the path of the missile and slightly to the rear of the missile.

With the fin openers in operative position, the hydraulic mechanism controlling the unfolding operation of the openers goes into action. As the opener mounted on shaft 24 moves into position, the rear or base of both of the fins on that side is received between the prongs of the yokes 26 and 26. In a like manner, at the other side of the missile, the rear or base of the fins 44 and 46 are received between the yokes 31 and 31' of the openers mounted on shaft 25.

The fins of the missile are rotatable to provide guidance for the missile while in flight. These fins are divided into a rear or base portion and a foldable or blade portion. The blade portion is hinged to the base portion and when in the magazine is in a folded position. In the unfolding operation, the bases of the fins are engaged by a yoke member to prevent any undesired rotation of the fins during the fin blade unfolding operation.

As the fin openers and contact assembly (both units) are moved into position below the missile the yoke members 26 and 2-6 on one side and 31 and 31' on the other side of the missile engage the base portion of the fins and prevent rotation of the fins (within limits) during the fin unfolding operation. The supports 28 and 29 carry identical mechanism consisting of a pair of yoke members 26 and 26' for support 28 and another pair of yoke members 31 and 31 for support 29, all of which are stationarily mounted on their respective supports. Also mounted on the support are rotatable arms 27 and 27 which engage the blade portion of the fins 43 and 45 and swing the blade to flight position. In a like manner the arms 32 and 32' engage the blade portion of the fins 44 and 46 and move them to flight position. These arms 27, 27 and 32, 32 are rotated through a mechanism similar to that which moves the openers to operative position and consists of, in one of the operating supports, a pair of pistons 54 and 55 operating in a cylinder 56 to move respectively the racks 57 and 58. The racks, in turn, engage gears 61 and 62, respectively. The gears are carried on shafts 63 and 63' on which the arms 27 and 27' are mounted. The hydraulic mechanism for supplying fluid under pressure is part of the overall launching system, and the valves and conduits leading to the specific mechanism for operating these openers is omitted from the drawings, all of said mechanism being conventional. The operation of the yokes 31 and 31' and the arms 32 and 32 which are mounted on support 29 is similar to those mounted on support 28, with a result of opening the blades 48 and 50 on fin bases 44 and 46.

In the operation of the fin openers and contact assembly, the missile is first moved from the magazine onto the launcher guide arm and stopped by the forward motion latch and retained in position by the aft motion latch. While in this position the fin openers and contactor assembly is moved out of the housing shields and into the path of the missile and to the rear of the missile. This movement brings the yokes 26 and 26 and 32 and 32' into engagement with the base of the fins and limits the rotation of the fins to a very small arc during the fin unfolding operation. Operation of the operative support mechanism swings the arms into contact with the foldedblades of the fins and moves these blades into flight position. The fin openers and contactor assembly is then returned to the housing shields and out of the path of the missile.

At the time of first movement of the fin openers and contact assembly from the housing shields, the contactor makes connection with electrical conduits on the missile automatically. This provides electrical power for Warmup and for operating other mechanisms in the missile while on the launcher guide arm. This part of the fin openers and contactor assembly forms no part of this application, the operation of making the electrical connections being done simultaneously with the movement of the fin openers into operative position.

What is claimed as new is:

In a missile launching system, having a magazine housing vertically stored missiles with rotatable fins having folding blades, the combination of a launcher arm having a guard rail with a fin opener and contactor assembly comprising:

means carried on the launcher arm and located at each side of the guide rail, said means housing and supporting the fin openers and contactor assembly, on the lower end of the launcher arm and out of the path of the missile;

a pair of shafts located on opposite sides of the guide rail and mounted for rotation, said shafts supporting the fin openers and contact assembly and adapted upon rotation to swing the fin openers and contact assembly into operating position, at points on opposite sides of the guide rail and into the path and rearward of the missile after it is received on the guide rail of the launcher arm;

pairs of yokes rotatably mounted on the contactor assembly and adapted to engage the base position of the fins to limit any rotational movement of the fins during the fin opening operation;

pairs of arms carried on the contactor assembly for rotation, the end of the arms engaging the blades of the fins when the fins are in yoke restraint to swing the blades of the fins into operating position;

the shafts supporting the fin openers and contact assembly being adapted to swing the fin openers and contactor assembly being also adapted to return the fin openers and contactor assembly to initial position, after the fin blade opening operation is completed, to remove the fin openers and contactor assembly from the path of the succeeding missile.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS SAMUEL W. ENGLE, Primary Examiner. 

